Identical twins, identical crimes

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Simon and Jordan Gann are identical twins who authorities say are pursuing identical lives of crime.

Both are con artists who have left a trail of female victims from coast to coast, passing themselves off as wealthy geniuses and charming the women out of their cash, prosecutors say. When Simon Gann recently turned up in Menlo Park, however, his past betrayed him.

Gann, 29, spun an attractive tale to a 32-year-old woman he met at the local Starbucks on Aug. 1, said Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County’s chief deputy district attorney.

Gann “charmed her with stories about being an MIT graduate and a math genius,” Wagstaffe said. Gann also told her that he is a “savant card counter,” a la Dustin Hoffman’s “Rain Man” character, with “big winnings” that had paid for a multimillion-dollar home in San Francisco, the prosecutor said.

Gann told the woman that his name was Saleem Dutante and that he had lost his wallet, passport and identification in Los Angeles, authorities said. Feeling sorry for him, she loaned him $1,900 to replace his ID and cell phone.

One thing led to another, and the two began dating. Then, early the morning of Aug. 16, the woman went through his stuff as he was sleeping and found his true ID, Menlo Park police say.

Her quick Google search of “Simon Gann” found no shortage of material about Gann and his twin brother having pulled off similar scams across the country. In 2008, Jordan Gann got hit with a two-year sentence for scamming a Florida woman. There’s even a Facebook page dedicated to warning would-be victims about the twins.

Simon Gann’s erstwhile friend promptly called Menlo Park police, but by the time officers arrived, Gann was awake and out of bed. Officers found him hiding in a closet. Police say he had an outstanding warrant in New Hampshire charging him with fraud.

On Wednesday, Gann pleaded not guilty in San Mateo County Superior Court to theft by false pretenses and resisting police. Prosecutors persuaded Judge John Runde to increase bail to $100,000 from the earlier $30,000 on the grounds that Gann is a flight risk.